Motivational Speaker Mike Smith Brings new Ideas to Acalanes

// Curious Acalanes students quickly fell silent as a young man, with hair past his shoulders and a sleeve of tattoos made his way across the gym.

This Wednesday, Acalanes was visited by Mike Smith, a company owner, non-profit starter, and Instagram sensation. His purpose was to conduct motivational seminars and to educate the youth on the things they can do to leave a positive footprint on the world.

Smith’s talk lasted for roughly an hour and ten minutes and was riddled with anecdotes from his own teenage years.

“He seemed very down to Earth, and I enjoyed the way he talked because you can tell his views really come from a place of personal experience,” sophomore Brooke Blacklidge commented.

The philanthropist also brought awareness to his cause, Skate for Change, while encouraging students to start acting on the things they are passionate about.

“I’m hoping that anybody who hears me speak recognizes that they have an opportunity to try to do something more, whether that’s more of what they love or more of what’s going to be helpful to their community,” Smith said.

His unique perspective on the way we present ourselves every day was introduced to our campus through the assemblies as well.

“You guys are making massive changes, there’s no question about that, I think the biggest thing you guys can do is focus on the solution, not the problem,” Smith said.

While Smith’s message was directed mainly to the students, he resonated with the teachers as well.

“I liked his vision of the three different kinds of people in the world that wish, talk, and do and how a lot of people like to talk that they are doers but not a lot of them actually do,” world history teacher Cassidy Mulholland said regarding Smith’s views.

Even though his time here only lasted the day, Smith reflected on the impact that these short visits have on him.

“I see myself in all of you guys,” Smith stated. “All the little things that I think that I say are things that I know are true of young people because it was true in me then and it’s probably true in me now.”